Retractable device for locking on rails suspension members of folders for vertical files



May 3, 1966 R. VINCENS 3,

RETRACTABLE DEVICE FOR LOCKING ON RAILS SUSPENSION MEMBERS OF FOLDERS FOR VERTICAL FILES Filed Aug. 15. 1961 United States Patent 3,249,111 RETRACTABLE DEVICE FOR LOCKING ON RAILS SUSPENSION MEMBERS OF FOLDERS FOR VER- TICAL FILES Ren Vincens, Martin-Eglise pres Dieppe, France Filed Aug. 15, 1961, Ser. No. 131,508 Claims priority, application France, Aug. 19, 1960,

36,240, Patent 1,272,599 2 Claims. (Cl. 12916.7)

This invention relates to improvements in suspended files for filing cabinets. It is known that these files are provided with supporting rods having bent end portions engageable--sometimes with more or less dilficultyin sections, rails or bent edges of filing cabinets, shelves, trays, etc.

During the handling of these files it frequently happens that the hook-forming bent end portions of these rods escape accidentally from their guide rails, thus undesiredly releasing the envelope-type file folders and their content;

-to avoid this drawback is necessary to use rails or like sections on the frames, trays or shelves, which are almost completely closed on themselves, so that the hookby the elastic lugs from liftingand escaping therefrom.

In order to afford a clearer understanding of this invention and of the manner in which the same may be embodied in practice, reference will now be made to the accompanying drawings illustrating diagrammatically by way of example a typical embodiment of the invention. In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of the envelopefile suspended from side rails or sections and provided with the elastic retaining means of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the envelope-file of this invention is introduced into the filing cabinet or like structure, and

FIGURE 3 is a similar view showing the file in position with the retaining means expanded in their operative position. I

Of course, the invention is applicable to suspended envelope-files or envelope-type file folders of any type adapted to be mounted in depending position from guide rails of the filing cabinet mounted on the sides or the bent edges of shelves, trays, etc.

In order to simplify the drawing, only two spaced, generally parallel guide rails are shown which each consist of a U-section 1 having a shorter upper flange 2 and a upstanding rail-forming flange 3 having just the height necessary for receiving the hook 4 of the suspension support of the envelope-file. The hook 4 engages without difficulty the guide rails formed by the longitudinal flanges 2 and 3.

' On the side edge of the file 5 suspended from the rod 6 and underlying each hook 4 is an elastic lug 7 consisting for example of a loop of plastic tape either secured thereon by screws, rivets or l-ike'means 8, or glued between thetwo layers of material constituting one of the flaps or sides of the file.

As shown in FIG. 2 it is thus a simple matter to insert the thus equipped file 5 into the longitudinally extending guide rails of the filing cabinet or like structure, by aligning the hooks 3 with the end apertures of the sections or rails 1 while folding and holding the lugs 7 against the front face of the tile 5. Once the hooks 4 are engaged in the rails 1, the loops 7 are released and automatically resume elastically their projecting positions (FIGS. 1 and 3) beneath each rail 1 so as to constiture adequate means for retaining the file on its suspension rails. It being understood that the lugs have self-restoration memory, in other words elasticity.

If desired, the loop-shaped lugs 7 may be given any other suitable shape and their vertical position on each file will be subordinate to the possibility of expanding to a position in which the upper edge of each lug is relatively close to and underlying the lower edge of the rail or like guide section supporting the suspension hooks of the file, whether the rail or section is formed integrally with the cabinet or secured thereon and irrespective of its shape, since it is not necessary to provide a section with very closely-spaced edges constituting a slot, so that the insertion and removal of the hooks is greatly facilitated.

While I have above described and illustrated in the accompany-ing drawing one concrete example of a practical embodiment of the invention, it is nevertheless to be understood that the combination, construction and relative arrangement of the various elements are susceptible of modification. Accordingly, this invention is not limited in these particulars, since it may also be exemplified in various other alternative structural forms not herein specifically disclosed, but which may be fairly comprehended as within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. For use in files having substantially horizontal longitudinally extending, parallel, spaces, side guide rails from which file folders are suspended in a position vertically depending from said rails, a file folder comprising, means defining an envelope-type file folder having opposite side edges, and an upper edge, two suspension hooks extending outwardly away from respective side edges of said folder substantially adjacent said upper edge thereby to releasably suspend the folder from said guide rails transversely of a space between the guide rails, said hooks being slidable longitudinally of said rails to allow movement of said folder in a suspended condition axially of said rails, locking means to releasably lock said folder relative to said rails to prevent movement of said hooks normal to said guide rails sufficient to unhook said hooks from the rails, said locking means comprising a pair of lugs extending outwardly from said folder side edges and having an upper edge closely adjacent respective hooks spaced downwardly therefrom and outwardly from said side edges sufficiently to underlie a respective rail when said folder is disposed depending from said rails, said lugs being normally in a position substantially coplanar with said folder and comprising a flexible and supple synthetic plastic material to allow the lugs to be bent at least normal to a plane in which said upper edge of said folder is disposed and having memory for self-restoration to said coplanar position in which said legs will underlie said rails.

2. For use in files having substantially horizontal longitudinally extending, parallel, spaced, side guide rails from.

which file folders are suspended in a position vertically depending from said rails, a file folder comprising, means defining an envelope-type file folder having opposite side edges, and an upper edge, two suspension hooks extending outwardly away from respective side edges-of said folder substantially adjacent said upper edge thereby to releasably suspend the folder from said guide rails transversely of a space between the guide rails, said hooks being slidable longitudinally of said rails to allow movement of said folder in a suspended condition axially of said rails, locking means to releasably lock said folder relative to said rails to prevent movement of said hooks normal to said guide rails sufiic-ient to unhook said hooks from the rails, said locking means comprising a pair of elastic loops defining lugs secured to said folder and extending outwardly from said folder side edges and having an upper edge closely adjacent respective hooks spaced downwardly therefrom and outwardly from said side edges suificiently to underliea respective rail when said folder is disposed depending from said rails, said lugs being normally in a position substantially coplanar with said folder and comprising a flexible and supple synthetic plastic material to allow the lugs to be bent at least normal 1 to a plane in which said upper edge of said folder is displanar position in which said lugs will underlie said rails.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1916 Cutting 129-16 5/1931 Wittenmyer 312-484 9/1941 Hanna 129-16.7 12/ 1952 Guichard 12916 FOREIGN PATENTS 10/ 1954 France.

(Addition to No. 60,313) 6/ 1948 Great Britain. 5/ 1955 Great Britain.

JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, Assistant Examiner. 

1. FOR USE IN FILES HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL LONGITUDINALLY EXTENDING, PARALLEL, SPACES, SIDE GUIDE RAILS FROM WHICH FILE FOLDERS ARE SUSPENDED IN A POSITION VERTICALLY DEPENDING FROM SAID RAILS, A FILE FOLDER COMPRISING, MEANS DEFINING AN ENVELOPE-TYPE FILE FOLDER HAVING OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES, AND AN UPPER EDGE, TWO SUSPENSION HOOKS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY AWAY FROM RESPECTIVE SIDE EDGES OF SAID FOLDER SUBSTANTIALLY ADJACENT SAID UPPER EDGE THEREBY TO RELEASABLY SUSPEND THE FOLDER FROM SAID GUIDE RAILS TRANSVERSELY OF A SPACE BETWEEN THE GUIDE RAILS, SAID HOOKS BEING SLIDABLE LONGITUDINALLY OF SAID RAILS TO ALLOW MOVEMENT OF SAID FOLDER IN A SUSPENDED CONDITION AXIALY OF SAID RAILS, LOCKING MEANS TO RELEASABLY LOCK SAID FOLDER RELATIVE TO SAID RAILS TO PREVENT MOVEMENT OF SAID HOOKS NORMAL TO SAID GUIDE RAILS SUFFICIENT TO UNHOOK SAID HOOKS FROM THE RAILS, SAID LOCKING MEANS COMPRISING A PAIR OF LUGS EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM SAID FOLDER SIDE EDGES AND HAVING AN UPPER EDGE CLOSELY ADJACENT RESPECTIVE HOOKS SPACED DOWNWARDLY THEREFROM AND OUTWARDLY FROM SAID SIDE EDGES SUFFICIENTLY TO UNDERLIE A RESPECTIVE RAIL WHEN SAID FOLDER IS DISPOSED DEPENDING FROM SAID RAILS, SAID LUGS BEING NORMALLY IN A POSITION SUBSTANTIALLY COPLANAR WITH SAID FOLDER AND COMPRISING A FLEXIBLE AND SUPPLE SYNTHETIC PLASTIC MATERIAL TO ALLOW THE LUGS TO BE BENT AT LEAST NORMAL TO A PLANE IN WHICH SAID UPPER EDGE OF SAID FOLDER IS DISPOSED AND HAVING MEMORY FOR SELF-RESTORATION TO SAID COPLANAR POSITION IN WHICH SAID LEGS WILL UNDERLIE SAID RAILS. 